World: Mutual Neutralization

"I do not think the Japanese will attempt a full occupation of
Australia."

It was not an Australian who said this last week, not a U.S. guesser. It
was a burly man-without-a-country, Hubertus J. van Mook, who had been
Lieutenant Governor of the Dutch East Indies. He was in Melbourne,
where Douglas MacArthur was training a joint force of Australians and
Americans for come-what-might.

Dr. van Mook was of the opinion that an open assault on Australia would
be very risky because of the extended lines of communication and
problems of transport. He thought the Japanese might merely try to
neutralize Australia as...